| Yacht racing is the sport of competitive | | | | Single-handed racing has seen a great |
| sailing. There is a broad variety of | | | | boom in popularity in recent years. |
| kinds of races and sailboats used for | | | | There is some controversy about the |
| racing. Much racing is done around buoys | | | | legality of sailing single-handed over |
| or similar marks in protected waters, | | | | long distances, as the navigation rules |
| while some longer offshore races cross | | | | require "that every vessel shall at all |
| open water. All kinds of boats are used | | | | times maintain a proper lookout..."; |
| for racing, including small dinghies, | | | | single-handed sailors can only keep a |
| catamarans, boats designed primarily for | | | | sporadic lookout, due to the need to |
| cruising, and purpose-built raceboats. | | | | sleep, tend to navigation, etc. |
| Types of races | | | | Other races |
| Harbour or buoy racing | | | | Certain races do not fit in the above |
| Harbour or buoy races are conducted in | | | | categories. One such is the Three peaks |
| protected waters, and are quite short, | | | | yacht race in the UK which is a team |
| usually taking anywhere from a few | | | | competition involving sailing, cycling |
| minutes to a few hours. All sorts of | | | | and running. |
| sailing craft are used for these races, | | | | Classes and ratings |
| including keelboats of all sizes, as | | | | Many design factors have a large impact |
| well as dinghies, catamarans, skiffs, | | | | on the speed at which a boat can |
| sailboards, and other small craft. A | | | | complete a course, including the size of |
| competition, or regatta, usually | | | | a boat's sails, its length, and the |
| consists of multiple individual races, | | | | weight and shape of its hull. Because of |
| where the boat that performs best in | | | | these differences, it can be difficult |
| each race is the overall winner. The | | | | to compare the skills of the sailors in |
| most famous such event is the America's | | | | a race if they are sailing very |
| Cup, but harbour races are common | | | | different boats. For most forms of yacht |
| anywhere there is a community of | | | | racing, one of two solutions to this |
| sailors. | | | | problem are used; either all boats are |
| This kind of race is most commonly run | | | | required to be identical (a one-design |
| over one or more laps of a triangular | | | | class), or a handicapping system is |
| course marked by a number of buoys. The | | | | used. A third approach is the use of |
| course starts from an imaginary line | | | | "open" classes. |
| drawn from a 'committee boat' to the | | | | In one-design racing all boats must |
| designated 'starting' buoy or 'pin'. A | | | | conform to the same standard, the class |
| number of warning signals are given | | | | rules. In this way the boats are as |
| telling the crews exactly how long until | | | | identical as they can be manufactured, |
| the race starts. The aim of each crew is | | | | thus emphasizing the skill of the |
| to cross the start line at full speed | | | | skipper and crew. Examples of popular |
| exactly as the race starts. A course | | | | classes include Etchells, Snipe, Star, |
| generally involves tacking upwind to a | | | | Soling, Thistle, Lightning, Laser, and J |
| 'windward' marker or buoy. Then bearing | | | | 24. Each class has a detailed set of |
| away onto a downwind leg to a second | | | | specifications that must be met for the |
| jibe marker. Next another jibe on a | | | | boat to be considered a member of that |
| second downwind leg to the last mark | | | | class. At important regattas the boats |
| which is called the 'downwind mark' (or | | | | are measured prior to the event to |
| 'leeward mark'). At this mark the boats | | | | ensure that they do conform. |
| turn into wind once again to tack to the | | | | When all the yachts in a race are not |
| finish line. | | | | members of the same class, then a |
| Offshore racing | | | | handicap is used to adjust the times of |
| Offshore yacht races are held over long | | | | boats. The handicap attempts to specify |
| distances and in open water; such races | | | | a "normal" speed for each boat, usually |
| usually last for at least a number of | | | | based either on measurements taken of |
| days. The longest offshore races involve | | | | the boat, or on the past record of that |
| a circumnavigation of the world. | | | | kind of boat. Each boat is timed over |
| Some of the most famous offshore races | | | | the specified course. After it has |
| are the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, the | | | | finished, the handicap is added to each |
| Transpacific Yacht Race, the Fastnet | | | | boat's finishing time. The results are |
| race, the Bermuda Race, and the West | | | | based on this sum. Popular handicapping |
| Marine Pacific Cup. Several fully-crewed | | | | systems in 2006 include IRC (Sailing), |
| round-the-world races are held, | | | | ORR and PHRF. Earlier popular rating |
| including the Volvo Ocean Race (formerly | | | | systems include IOR and IMS. |
| called the Whitbread Round the World | | | | An open class is based on a box rule, |
| Race), the Global Challenge and the | | | | which specifies a maximum overall size |
| Clipper Round the World Race. | | | | for boats in the class, as well as |
| Single-handed ocean yacht racing begain | | | | features such as stability. Competitors |
| with the race across the Atlantic Ocean | | | | in these classes are then free to enter |
| by William Albert Andrews and Josiah W. | | | | their own boat designs, as long as they |
| Lawlor in 1891; however, the first | | | | do not exceed the box rule. No handicap |
| regular single-handed ocean race was the | | | | is then applied. Since it is essentially |
| Single-Handed Trans-Atlantic Race, first | | | | based on the use of custom boats, such |
| held in 1960. The first round-the-world | | | | events are generally limited to |
| yacht race was the Sunday Times Golden | | | | high-budget racers. Popular examples of |
| Globe Race of 1968-1969, which was also | | | | open classes are the Open 50 and 60 |
| a single-handed race; this inspired the | | | | classes used in single-handed offshore |
| present-day VELUX 5 Oceans Race | | | | events. However the Moth class is an |
| (formerly the BOC Challenge / Around | | | | exception, with boats being no longer |
| Alone) and the Vendée Globe. | | | | than 11 feet. |